Electrical accumulator.



P. K. STERN.

ELECTRICAL AGGUMULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1909.

Patented Mar. 11, 1913.

INVENIOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PH ILIP KI STERN, OF NEVI' YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO MONARCH STORAGE BATTERY COMPANY, OF. NEW, YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NE\V YORK.

ELECTRICAL ACCUMULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ma 1-. 11,1913.

Application filed May 12, 1909. Serial No. 495.536.

the city of New York, in the county and' State otv New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Electrical Accuinulators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention in-electrical accumulators relates more partici'ilarly to that type wherein the active material is pasted upon the surface of a leaden support or into .the interstices of a perforated grid of the same material. v

It has particular reference to a mechanical means for maintaining contact of the active material against the support or grid in the insuring of electrical conductivity there between. I

It has also reference to a means for promoting the, circulation of the electrolyte coacting therewith as Well as a ne'ans for effectively insulating the several elements which compose respectively the anodes and cathodes, with reference to each other, and the objects of my invention are first, to provide for the elements in electrical accumulators, a more simple and more effective means for maintaining an intimate contact betweenthe active material and its support than those in vogue and previous to my invention in so far as I am at present aware, and second to provide means for a more copious circulation of the. co-ivcting electrolyte; third, to insure the insulation of the elements of opposite sign with respect to each other; fourth, to establishthe independence ot' the expansion and contraction of the separate elements with respect to each other, and tit'th, to provide a simple and ellective envelop or casing for each. of the eleinents, whereby the same are restrained against buckling or warping during chemical activity when the accumulator is in action, and I attain these objects by the mnstruction as illustrated in the drawings hereto attached which forms" part of this specification, and

' posed preterably of. pertorated sheet rubber the features characteristic ot'my invention whereby" l attain the objects thereof are referred to in the appended descriptive matter relative thereto, and the distinctive teatue'cs of novelty are finally referred to in the claims at the conclnsionpt' the specification,

'ith rclerence to the drawings Figure l is a side clevational contracted view of an element of an electrical accumulator embodying my invention, a portion of the casing being broken away to disclose the 't'ormatioirot' the support.- Fig. 2 is an eii- 6O larged cross sectional end elevationalviewtaken through one of the units of the element referred to in Fig. 1, substantially on a line of said figure. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailedcross sectional view of one of'my improved insulating clamps. Fig. -l

is an enlarged fragmentary modificational view of one of the units contained in the elements substantially as referred to in Fig.

1, showing a double row of perforations. 7 0

Fig. 5 is a detaileclview of the insulating aasing for one of the units of an element referred to in Figs. 1 and 2, taken in perspective. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the cross member. y

In the several figures, similar characters of iieference are employed to designate like parts wherein,

A depicts the element, comprising the frame B and cross members or units C.

The said element I prefer tti cast or otherwise form of lead containing about Sf/ of antimony for the positive elements or pure lead for the negative elements.- The units (1 are prcterably perforated at intervals intermcdiately of their width in order to provide a series of countersunk openings (Land disposed as pockets for the reception of the active material. The series of pockets are intercepted by transverse partitions (2 which extend laterally beyond the width of the cross bar or unit thus establishing hetwccn the several partitions a series of compartments f which arelikewise reserved for the reception of additional active material, The several units C are separated with re spect to each other sutliciently to permit of their perforated insulating covers D being assembled on them, presenting as a whole, the a ppearance of a slotted grid. formed in the manner otxa channel com-.

bent to the form of a rectangle as will be clear by the illustration Fig. As will be observed in this figure, the insulating casing 105 l) is composed of sections each of which is slightly curved longitudinally and consists of a surface portion 9 and integral sides h,

These are forming braces or trusses. The surface portion g 1s likewise curved, so "as to present a slightly concave surface. The purpose ofthe curved formation will be referred to hereinafter. The element A is also provided with the usual neck or lug a for establishing electrical communication with a charging and discharging CIIClllt I11 the formation of my improved'accir mul'ator, the requisite number of elements A comprising the units C are pasted-with the active material by first assembling upon each of the units G the insulatingcasing D,

. and on the same side of each of the units,

whereupon the said element being supported on a work-bench, table or'other slut-able foundation, the active material is" introduced in a well known manner in sutlicient quantity to fill the compartments 7 and the pockets (Z and by applying pressure to the surplus paste upon the surface'of the element, the same will be forced through and between the compartments f and through "the.

- pockets (Z on the opposite side of the units C and will commence-t0 ooze through the.

perforations in the'sides or trusses h. After the paste has been fdrced through in this manner to the opposite side of the units U and is withheld by the casing D, .a surplus quantity of-paste is spread over the surface and a second set of casings D is ap-' 1 plied to the units 0 in a manner so as to envelop the same and confine the active'material betweenthe Walls or outer surface {I and the integral sides or stiffening portions h. The. casings ,D are' engaged with each other by 'overl apping their respective side portions h in a manner as illnstratedmore clearly in'Fig. 2, and in order to completely fill the rectangular tube or envelop thus formed about the units C respectively by the casings D, I subject the lpper surface 9 to sufficient pressure in a sni able press to force the surplus paste out through the perforations in the diametrically opposite casing- .D.- Thus I am enabled to completely fill the pockets (Z and compartments as Well as the entire remaining space between the opposite surfaces 9 of the casings D. After thus pasting the elements A I secure the several casings D of'each element in their position by longitudinal clamps enveloping the side frames B of each element. Theseclamps I prefer to construct of a sheet of hard rubber bent into theform of a U longitudinally, as will be more clearly illustrated in Fig.,3'"iand'provided with a series "of transverse 'slot's leaving'intermediate resilient portions F- as spring clips toiclamp the casings D at their. outer terminals on opposite sides of the unit upon which they are assembled together, and on to the surface/of the paste contained in-the pockets and compartments 0! and f respectively.

As prevlously'referred to, the casings D casings D, whereupon the opposite ends of the said casings due to the cur ved formation aforesaid, will assume an outwardlysprung position and upon forcing them against their corresponding surfaces on the respective. unit C, I introduce in asimilar manner a second spring clamp E on the opposite side bar B, whereupon the entire surface of the element will be enveloped by the'hard rubber casing comprising the clamps E and casings D. The upper frame of the element A provided with a non-perforatedcasing i to 'eifect a further insulation of the frame B of the element A. I

The perforated casings. D arebonstructed preferably of hard vulcanized rubber which is formed from a strip of the said material about .020 inches in thickness and bent in a suitable mold or die when warmed to form the channels as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5, and when two of these casings are assembled around the unit or cross member C intelescopic relation as illustrated more clearly in Fig.2;they completely incase the said .cross member or unit (land held the oxidof lead. 'or paste contained in the compartments f and perforations (Z. clamp E is preferably constructed of a strip of similarma'terial. to that of the casings D 'with the exception that it should be con- Tll spring I st-ructed of heayier material preferably about .050 inches and bent in a suitable mold while heated to the form of a U and the series of projecting teeth F may be either formed by slotting the spring clamp E with a saw or shearing the same into a se ries of cuts prior to bending the same to 115.

the form of a U. The projecting teethF however, are preferablyxsprung in at their tips as illustrated'more clearly in Fig. 3 and when a clamp E is applied to each of the terminals of the casings D the 'teeth F 130 thereof will be forced to expand, due to the elasticity of the material of which they are composed. This comparative extent of ex,- pansion is illustrated inthe cross .section expanded and the sectionrepresents a portion of the spring clamp or one of the teeth thereof which has not been expanded. "The two springciamp's E applied to the lateral margins of the. elements embraceithe 13o Fig. 3 at F which illustrates one of the teeth frame B and overlap the terminals or the casing D; thus when the active material contained within the casings D expand and contract, the teeth F of the spring clamps 5 E resist the action of expansion and as Well apply a continual pressure on to the paste or oxid of lead contained in the compart ments f and perforations d of their respective cross members or'unitsuC. The side members h of the casings D in the meanwhile truss or' stiffen the casin D against buckling in the center, thus, w en the two opposite members of a cross bar or unit 0 are contracting or expanding while the terminals, the oxid or paste contained there in will be subjected to compression which will force it into electrical contact with the metallic support.

It will be observed by the foregoing dcscription that the construction presented provides a pasted grid composed of a series of transverse units disposed as bars, each having an insulated casing which casing is adapted to permit of lateral movement, due to contraction and expansion of the active material by virtue of the end spring'clamps engaging the ends of the envelop casing and that each of the said units are respectively independent of each other in this respect. That is to say that in the event of the active material undergoing expansion by electrolysis confined between the opposite walls of its casing which effects the lateral displacement of the casing against the force of the spring clamps E to any of the casings, the neighboring units will not be released from pressure for the reason that each of the clips F of the spring clamp E are inde- 40 pendently active -in maintaining the pressurefof the casings against the action of their respective units. In the assembling ofseveral pairs of units of opposite polarity in the usual manner, the spring elips E on the opposite margins of theelements overlapping the terminals of the casings D pi'ov ide separators to maintain the elements at their prearranged spacing. The transverse separation between the several units provide circulating channels or ducts through which the electrolyte may freely circulate when the accumulator comprising my improved elements is in action. When itis desired to increase the superficial area of the elements A which would-render the units C longer in proportion to their width than that which would be coiiimensurate with stiffness when constructed in accordance with Fig. 1, Iprefer to increase the relative width of the bars or units C as referred to in the modification Fig. 4, in which instance I provide a relatively increased pocketing tor the active material, whereby the desired relative roportion of 35 the active material to that o the support spring tension, due to the clamp E is on its a-form of electrical accumulator of "the pasted type wherein the elements are composed of a plurality of independently active unitsintegrally connected with a trame and means enveloping the units for maintaining contact between the paste and its.

support on each of the units independent of each other, and the said means provlding insulation of the elements with respect to each other. r

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the U. S.

1. In an element of the. character descr'bed, a metallic support spaced to form a p urality of integral units and separated with respect-to each other, a non-conducting sectional casing for each of the units and interfitting about the same and arranged on opposite sides of the respective-units.

2. In an element of the character described, a conducting support provided with integral perforated units laterally separated with respect to each other, a nonscondncting sectional perforated casing for each of the units, provided with overlapping edges embracing the units and arranged in pairs on opposite sides thereof respectively and end spring clamps embracing the edge of the element, and engaging the opposite ends of said pairs of units.

3. In an element of the character described, a conducting support provided with ,integral perforated units and compartments laterally separated with respect to each other, a non-conducting sectional perioratml casing for 'each of the units provided with overlapping edges embracing the unitsand arranged in pairs on opposite sides thereof respectivel and end spring clamps embracing the e ge of the-element and engaging the opposite ends of said pairs of units, said spring clamps being integrally connected in a series respectively.

4. In an electrical accumulator, a spring clamp separator adapted to embrace the edge of the element on both sides thereof, comprising a plurality of iiuilependcnt clamping members each'adapted to clamp upon ,a portion of the element.

In an electrical accumulator, an olelncnt provided with integralpasted units laterally spaced with respect to each other,

an elementary casing of non-conducting 1 material consisting of a pluralltyflot perforated members surrounding the pastedunits and'adapted to intertit with each other through the said spacing and disposed as a covering tor the element and spring clamps embracing the opposite ends of the members on each side of the'element and adapted to force the same into contact With the pasted units of the element.

6. In an electrical accumulator, an'element and, a casing therefor, consisting of a plurality of non-conducting perforated units arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the element and disposed thereon as a covering for the surface thereof, spring clamps'composed of non-conducting material integrally Connected in a series for each of theopposite edges of the element and adapted to embrace the ends of the units and clamp the same against the surface of'the element.

- 7. In an electrical accumulator, van ele ment, a non-conducting covering therefor, consisting .of units transversely disposed upon the surface of the element and each side thereof composed of perforated strips of non-conducting material, clamps-oflike material embracing the edges of the ele-' ment and units at opposite ends thereof and adapted t-o-clamp the units and the element together. I 8. In an electrical accumulator, an element divided into a plurality of substan:

tially parallel cross bars, an insulating covering therefor, consisting of semi-tubular units on opposite sides 'of each of the cross bars and engage, in interfitting relation about the said cross bars, thesaid units beingcomp0sed of a non-conducting material and provided'with perforations and longi-' tudinal stiffening. members at the interfit-.

ting edges thereof, clamps of like material embracing the edges of the element and units at opposite ends thereof and adapted to clamp the units and elementtogether.

9. In an electrical accumulator, an element composed of a plurality of integral conducting bars laterally separated'from each other, said bars comprising units electrically connected at their terminals, a c 0nducting; frame circumscribing the ends of said units, a perforated non-conducting casing-surrounding each of the units composed of substantially rectangular tubes on opposite sides of the units and disposed in pairs "thereon mutually engaging and overlapping at their edges, a pair of longitudinal clamps embracing the frame of the element andthe ends of the casings, said clamp being pro- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents, .eaoh, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

